1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to surgical instruments.
2. Description of Related Art
Surgical instruments used in minimally invasive surgery often include a narrow shaft portion that passes through a small incision or port such as a trocar. In instruments with movable ends, the narrow shaft portion includes moving parts that translate motion from the handle to the movable end. Such instruments can sometimes be difficult to clean because of the close arrangement of moving parts in the shaft portion.